Dog Blog
Musings
Sighthounds love to gallop, to chase and stretch out. They experience unmistakable, sheer glee as they are bending, folding and leaping. You can see it in their expression. So, why is it that so many of these admirable Sighthounds are found living in unsuitable homes, having little or no fenced, secured acreage?
Here are a few candid photos of my Irish Wolfhounds from a recent specialty show.
Fanciers and Judges make a great to-do over the dog’s hindquarters but can they really recognize a sound, strong pelvic girdle and pelvic limb construction? Although breed blueprints revolve around specialization demanding differing angles to include descriptive terms, such as sweep of stifle or great length from hip to hock, unimpaired hindquarters construction is the same, no matter the breed. First,...
Yes, pun intended, I mean filling station. My play on words is tailor-made for this discussion about dogs, particularly on their fill and station. Many hobbyists who are unfamiliar with the phrase ‘station’ are shaking their heads but then so is the notion about filling this station — filling what with what?
Virtually all of the Dog Group breeds were propagated for and should be functional. Although today many argue that nearly every one of the breeds no longer fulfill their purpose, the truth is that for basic soundness of even our companions and family dogs, their feet factor into sustaining quality of life. Similar to a person whose feet have fallen arches, plantar fasciitis or muscle strains that cause constant discomfort and pain...
Depending on the breed, one of the most interesting features is a dog's headpiece. Headpieces glorify the breed by way of expression and shape. The expression is achieved by appearance, rather the dog’s look, set, shape and color of their eyes, set-on of the ear, the planes of the backskull and muzzle or foreface. What makes a great head case is the handiwork of several important elements. First,...
Save for cropped breeds, most fanciers don’t pay too much attention to their dog’s ears, regarding them as obvious features to have but inessential in the overall genesis of a very good dog. Though this may reflect a modicum of reality for a number of breeds, for instance a few sighthounds, where some repeat the phrase parrot-fashion “he does not run on his ears,” indeed there are breeds who contradict this accepted tenet.
"His neck is on the line." This idiom is appropriate when conversing about show dogs but also specialized breeds. Yes, the neck is more than just another part of the canine skeletal structure that connects the trunk and the head. In truth, it seems to have fluctuating levels of importance depending on the breed.
Sighthounds love to gallop, to chase and stretch out. They experience unmistakable, sheer glee as they are bending, folding and leaping. You can see it in their expression. So, why is it that so many of these admirable Sighthounds are found living in unsuitable homes, having little or no fenced, secured acreage?
